IBD Adventures team arrives in Kathmandu

After a short layover in Hong Kong, the IBD Adventures Everest trekking team is almost completely together in Kathmandu. Phil arrives late this evening, followed by Tony and Bob tomorrow. Meanwhile, Carly, Clinton, Paul, Rob, John the guide and myself are settling into the eclectic chaos of the Nepalese capital city. We arose early this morning to the sounds of a city slowly waking up: birds chirping, pigeons purring and the distant horns of vehicles making their way into the heart of Kathmandu. Our hotel, like many buildings here, has a rooftop patio that offers a unique view of this mystical city. We all stole a few moments gazing out over the multi-coloured brick buildings surrounding us.

John gave us a quick tour of the Thamel area where the hotel is located, a mainly tourist district of guest houses, souvenir shops and restaurants. Afterward, five of us prepped for an eight kilometre hike across town to Boudha Stoupa. Rob decided to stay close to the hotel and spend some time with John the guide organizing climbing gear and expedition food.

Kathmandu has an incredible mix of vibrant peoples observing different cultural and religious customs. Boudha Stoupa is one of the many Buddhist landmarks and is surrounded by several monasteries housing hundreds of monks. The area attracts tourists and locals alike, making for an incredibly busy square.

We made a quick walk clockwise around the base of the stoupa to spin the prayer wheels before heading to a rooftop restaurant Paul was familiar with from previous visits. With no meat on the menu we settled in to devour cheese pizza, vegetable pakoras and quench our thirst with cold drinks. We then took in some more of the square before heading out to find a taxi back to Thamel.

Very few goods and services have a set price in Kathmandu, bartering is the rule. Paul took to the task of negotiating a fair price for the 25 minute drive back to the hotel: 500 rupees for the 5 of us, or about $7. Vehicles in Kathmandu tend to be on the smaller side and taxis tend to be smaller still. So we all literally squished into a tired old car smaller than a Toyota Yaris. The driver took to the side roads and alley ways to avoid the thick traffic found on the main arteries. There are few traffic lights here. And vehicles ignore any painted lanes on the roads. The horn is a polite signal to other road users “hey, I’m here,” not the sometimes angry warning indicator most Canadians associate it with.

It’s approaching late afternoon here at the time of this writing. We’re taking a few moments of rest before heading out to the K2 Steakhouse for dinner. We will wait for Phil, Bob and Tony to arrive before checking out the Monkey Temple. Tomorrow we visit a local school with some of the Sherpa guides we met when Rob and a few of us were here in 2008.

Tagged as: Carly Lindsay, Clinton Shard, IBD Adventures, IBD doesn't stop me, Kathmandu, Robert Hill